A small movement of a proton can change a molecule’s structure—and its properties. This process, known as prototropic tautomerism, plays an important role in many dyes, functional materials, drugs and biological molecules.
Understanding and controlling these changes opens opportunities across chemistry, materials science and biomedicine.
Learn more about tautomerism Key references
Understanding how molecular structure and environment influence tautomeric equilibria and proton transfer. We combine experimental data and theoretical approaches to improve the prediction of tautomeric behaviour.
Read more
Investigating light-induced proton transfer to develop fluorescent sensors, imaging agents and molecular switches. Our work connects molecular design, synthesis and spectroscopy.
Read more
Exploring how tautomerism influences biologically active molecules and their interactions. We aim to apply this knowledge to the design of small molecules with therapeutic potential, including compounds acting on multiple biological targets.
Read moreLed by The ERA Chair Professor Liudmil Antonov, UCTREST builds on the expertise of the University of Plovdiv and its Faculty of Chemistry in materials science, bioactive compounds and biomedicine.
We combine experimental methods and theoretical modelling to understand how proton transfer changes molecular structure and properties. Through collaboration with international research partners, we aim to strengthen research and education and translate fundamental knowledge into practical applications.
Events
Explore publications from UCTREST and the research of Professor Liudmil Antonov in tautomerism and proton transfer.
UCTREST publications Publications by L. Antonov
Nature effectively employs the light-induced transfer of a proton for rapid interconversion between different electronic [...]
The tautomeric behavior of 1-(2-pyridinyl)-1H-pyrazol-5-ols has been investigated in solution using UV–vis and NMR spectroscopies [...]
Herein, we demonstrate a working prototype of a conjugated proton crane, a reversible tautomeric switching [...]
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) still remains the most disastrous infection continuously affecting millions of people [...]
The modulatory interactions between neurotensin (NT) and the dopaminergic neurotransmitter system in the brain suggest [...]
The tautomeric properties of favipiravir, a promising anti-COVID-19 drug, were investigated experimentally for the first [...]